Through the Geographic Intelligence tool, SLU researcher William Lidberg has been able to leverage decades of geodata and create a product with significant potential. This is the assertion of the SKAPA jury in Västerbotten, which awards him the innovation prize for 2023.
The SKAPA prize has been awarded in memory of Alfred Nobel since 1986. It is a prize intended to promote the development of innovative products and services that can also lead to commercial opportunities. This year, a researcher at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, is deemed most successful in fulfilling this in Västerbotten.
During a ceremony at the residence on October 27th, he received the SKAPA prize from Västerbotten County Governor Helene Hellemark-Knutsson for his AI tool, Geographic Intelligence. Jean-Fredric Birgersson was simultaneously awarded the prize for this year's SKAPA Talent 2023 for his tool, Kurr.
Visualizing hard-to-access data - with the help of AI
Researcher William Lidberg has utilized artificial intelligence to liberate a wealth of geographical data from the constraints of time and technology. Swedish authorities have long been collecting large amounts of information that are openly available but often in outdated and incompatible formats. With the help of his Geographic Intelligence tool, William Lidberg has been able to consolidate this map data into a technical tool with many applications.
The jurys own words:
Sweden is unique in having large amounts of open geographical data in the form of maps. However, these are often available in outdated formats, scattered among different authorities, and provide only a superficial picture. By adding artificial intelligence to existing data and technology, essential opportunities are opened up to conserve natural resources as well as economic resources.
This insight has been taken up by this year's winner of the Västerbotten SKAPA prize, Geographic Intelligence. The winner presents a service that, by combining AI with existing geographical information systems, effectively reduces risks of climate-related crises such as landslides, avalanches, or floods. The innovation is predicted to have a bright future and global demand.
